Hurricane Helene left dozens dead and millions without power in the southeastern United States

Hurricane Helene left dozens dead and millions without power in the southeastern United States.

With many still missing, the devastation from Hurricane Helene continues to unfold by the hour.

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene continues to unfold across the southeastern United States, with at least 64 people reported dead, according to the Associated Press, and an estimated 2.4 million people without power as of Sunday afternoon.

The storm made landfall in the Big Bend area of ​​Florida on Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, Helene has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone and remains looming over the Tennessee Valley.

In North Carolina, more than 200 people have been rescued from floodwaters that have washed away homes in several areas. Search teams are reportedly still trying to find more than a thousand missing people in North Carolina and Tennessee. Meanwhile, about 1,100 residents are sheltering in emergency shelters in North Carolina as the state grapples with widespread damage.

In response to the crisis, President Biden approved North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s request to declare a federal major disaster on Sunday, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide vital aid to 25 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokees.

Here’s a look at the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene — and what to expect in the days ahead.

Death toll in the dozens

As of Sunday morning, at least 64 people had been killed in five states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. According to The New York Times, the deaths were attributed to a variety of causes, including flooding, falling trees, and car accidents.

Emergency personnel were spotted on a road where the Rocky Broad River merges into Lake Lure on Sept. 28, carrying debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina, after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene.

In Florida, where Hurricane Helene first made landfall, 11 people have been confirmed dead, according to Reuters. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described “total devastation” in parts of the state, with 90% of homes in communities like Keaton Beach on Florida’s west coast still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in 2023 when they were washed away.

As of Sunday, 24 people had been confirmed dead in South Carolina — the most deaths in any state so far from the storm — prompting the state’s weather agency to call it “the worst event in our office’s history” in a Facebook post-Saturday evening. More than 20 people, including children, have died in Georgia as a result of Hurricane Helene.

North Carolina had ten weather-related deaths as of Sunday, with more than 1,000 still missing in Buncombe County alone, according to the New York Times. More than 70 people remain unaccounted for in eastern Tennessee, officials said at a news briefing Sunday morning, according to NBC News.

Power outages by the numbers

As of 2:41 p.m. ET Sunday, nearly 2.4 million homes and businesses across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia remained powerless.

South Carolina was the hardest-hit state, with nearly 870,000 residents still in the dark as of the latest update. Georgia followed, with more than 656,000 customers without power, while more than 526,000 customers were affected in North Carolina. In Florida, about 194,000 people were still without power, and more than 127,000 people were still affected in Virginia.

Damage exceeds $110 billion

AccuWeather estimates that Helen’s damage and economic losses will be between $95 billion and $110 billion, making it one of the costliest storms in U.S. history. For comparison, Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017) caused an estimated $125 billion in damage, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Helen is said to have caused the worst flooding in North Carolina in a century, with Yancey County being hit hardest with 29.5 inches of rain.

Atlanta also saw record rainfall, with 11.12 inches falling over 48 hours, the most the city has endured since the 19th century. On Saturday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said statewide damage could top the $1.2 billion the state suffered in the wake of Hurricane Michael in 2018.

According to Florida’s Urban Search and Rescue, about 84 structures were destroyed in Florida alone, and more than 4,000 suffered water damage.

Rescue Efforts

According to the agency, more than 800 FEMA personnel are working around the clock to provide support and resources to the hardest-hit areas. Evacuations continued throughout the weekend as several dams were overwhelmed, including the Nolichucky Dam in Tennessee and the Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina.

According to an update from DeSantis, as of Sunday morning, at least 190 people had been rescued in Florida, and more than 1,300 people were currently seeking shelter in 43 shelters across 21 counties in that state. As of Saturday, more than 200 people had been rescued from floodwaters in North Carolina.

According to The New York Times, debris, fallen trees, and flooding have closed more than 400 roads in North Carolina. The state Department of Transportation reported at least 300 active road accidents on Sunday afternoon. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency reportedly assists local agencies with rescue efforts in 32 counties across Georgia.